Miles Shuler participates in Rutgers football practice on August 3 in Piscataway. / MARK R. SULLIVAN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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Josh Newman

@Joshua_Newman

Gareef Glashen called the secondary’s performance in Rutgers’ last scrimmage “unacceptable” and he is ready for tonight’s do-over. Read more about it at our Scarlet Scuttlebutt blog on blogs.mycentraljersey.com/rutgers

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PISCATAWAY — Rutgers junior wide receiver Miles Shuler was a tremendous athlete when he was in high school, both on the gridiron and on the track as an All-State sprinter at Long Branch High School.

The athleticism and speed the 5-foot-10, 175-pound Shuler possess are still there, but he is still waiting to make the big impact at the college level so many thought would come sooner.

In two seasons, Shuler has played in 20 games, has five receptions and just 13 touches. All five of those receptions came last season when he played in all 13 games for the 9-4 Scarlet Knights. Those modest numbers come after amassing nearly 5,000 all-purpose yards and 40 touchdowns over his final two seasons with the Green Wave.

As Rutgers heads into its final preseason scrimmage at 7:30 this evening at High Point Solutions Stadium, Shuler is still looking for that breakthrough moment.

“I just realized early that it was all part of the process and everything happens for a reason,” Shuler said on Monday after practice when asked if the first two years of his college career were frustrating. “I really feel that way. You can’t look back, you just gotta keep moving forward. I feel like I’m really in a position where I can help this team. Right now, it’s just learning the offense, that’s what I’m focused on and helping my team get better in whatever they need me to do.”

With Rutgers’ season-opener at Fresno State and 4,000-yard passer Derek Carr just 12 days away, two things regarding Shuler appear clear.

First, he has no defined role. Redshirt junior Brandon Coleman and redshirt senior Quron Pratt are penciled in as the starters at wide receiver with a logjam of Shuler, true sophomore Leonte Caroo and redshirt freshman Ruhann Peele fighting for playing time behind them. Add redshirt freshman Carlton Agudosi to that mix once he recovers from a hamstring issue.

Second, Shuler needs to have a strong finish to camp. Aside from fighting for time at wide receiver, he is also in the mix as a kick returner, but is guaranteed nothing there either. Senior Jeremy Deering figures to get the bulk of action in that spot, at least early, after solid showings the last two seasons in that role.

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“Miles affects the game in so many ways, I don't know if it is always quantified when people look at what he does for us,” Rutgers head coach Kyle Flood said earlier this week. “In terms of blocking punts. This year, he's going to have an opportunity to return punts. As a kickoff returner, on kickoff coverage, as a receiver. He has a number of roles on this team that are really, really important to winning football games. He's a very valuable player.”

With tonight being a scrimmage, it’s worth noting that it is nearly a year to the day when everyone thought Shuler had turned a corner.

On August 18 of last year, during Rutgers’ final scrimmage, Shuler went off for six catches, 159 yards and two touchdowns. Unfortunately, he was never able to carry that momentum into the regular season.

A year older and wiser, the 2009 NJSIAA Meet of Champions winner at 55 meters and 100 meters sounds ready to take on the challenges in front of him.

“Maturity, I feel like that’s one of the most important things coming in here,” Shuler said. “Seeing the game a different way, growing with the game as the years have gone on. Those are the most important things on my mind. That and leadership, leading the freshmen and teaching them the way we do things around here. All the tricks to the receiver position, hand that down to them like how Quron Pratt, Brandon Coleman, Mark Harrison, Mohamed Sanu, Tim Wright brought it down to me.”

News and Notes

Flood said that starting right guard still is a lively position battle entering the final training camp scrimmage and listed the reserve pecking order at quarterback, running back and defensive back as areas of focus. ... In the absence of the Jamil and Jamal Merrell, who will be at Jamal’s wedding, Flood said Djwany Mera, David Milewski, Quentin Gause and T.J. Taylor will get more looks. ... Flood said that if Rutgers played today, Pratt likely would be the punt returner.